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Vale Project
State: Oregon
Region: Pacific Northwest
Related Documents
Vale Project History (50 KB)
Related Facilities
Related Links
Major Storage Reservoirs in Southeastern Oregon
Curry Coast, Oregon
Lower Treasure Valley, Oregon
Precipitation
Malheur River near Vale, Oregon (USGS)
Spring and Summer (NRCS)
Columbia River Snowpack Summary
Mountain Snowpack Maps for Columbia River Basin
Palmer Drought Index Map
Explanation of Palmer Drought Severity Index (Text)
North Fork Malheur River at Beulah, Oregon (USGS)
Malheur River below Warm Springs near Riverside, Oregon (USGS)
Bully Creek
Lower Malheur River
Upper Malheur River
Willow Creek
Agency Valley Dam
Bully Creek Dam
Warm Springs Dam
Harper Diversion Dam
Bully Creek Diversion Dam
Warm Springs Dam
Agency Valley Dam
Bully Creek Dam
Beulah Reservoir
Bully Creek Reservoir
Warm Springs Rservoir
Agency Valley
Warm Springs
Bully Creek
Bully Creek near Vale, Oregon (USGS)
General
The Vale Project lands are located along the Malheur River and Willow Creek in east-central Oregon, surrounding the town of Vale. The project furnishes irrigation water to 35,000 acres of land. Features include Agency Valley Dam and Beulah Reservoir, Bully Creek Dam and Reservoir, Harper Diversion Dam, Vale Main Canal, and a distribution and drainage system. To supplement project needs, the Federal Government purchased one-half of the storage rights in the Warm Springs Reservoir built by the Warmsprings Irrigation District.
History
Lands now included in the Vale Project were irrigated in 1881 by settlers who built small distribution systems that diverted water directly from the Malheur River. Independent ditch companies were formed as irrigated acreages increased, and by 1929 more than 63,000 acres were being irrigated. The Warmsprings Irrigation District was organized in 1919 to build the Warm Springs Dam with private capital raised through the sale of bonds. While it was recognized at the time the dam was built that the reservoir capacity of 191,000 acre-feet would be in excess of the needs of the district, it was evident that this capacity could be provided at the lowest cost per acre-foot of water stored. Overestimates of the irrigable lands in the district were also a factor. The resulting too-liberal use of the surplus water and the lack of adequate drainage caused the water table to rise and reduced the area which could be farmed. At the same time, over application of irrigation water increased the need for drainage.
Construction
A contract between the Federal Government and the Vale Oregon Irrigation District was signed October 22, 1926. The contract provided for the purchase of one-half interest in Warm Springs Reservoir by the Bureau of Reclamation, construction of a diversion dam, main canal, branch canals, structures in connection therewith, and construction of necessary drainage works for the Warmsprings Irrigation District. Construction began on March 3, 1927. The first units of the Vale Project (Harper and Little Valley) were opened to irrigation in 1930. The last unit to receive irrigation water was the Willow Creek unit in 1938. On March 28, 1932, a supplemental contract was executed with the Vale Oregon Irrigation District that provided for construction of Agency Valley Dam on the North Fork of the Malheur River to add storage needed for an adequate water supply. The dam was completed in 1935. Facilities of the Bully Creek Extension, primarily Bully Creek Dam and Reservoir, Feeder Canal, Diversion Dam, and laterals, were constructed during 1962-1964. Almost 35,000 acres of sagebrush and rangeland have been transformed into productive farmland. Principal crops produced are grain, hay, pasture, sugar beets, sweet corn, and potatoes. Bully Creek Reservoir lies in a narrow, curving valley bounded on both sides by steep hills. With 7 miles of shoreline, it is the smallest of the three reservoirs. Recreation facilities include a campground, swimming beach, and boat launching and mooring facilities. These facilities are operated by Malheur County. The reservoir fishery provides excellent catches of white crappie, yellow perch, and black bass. The reservoir is used as a resting place by migratory waterfowl with some ducks remaining to nest. Sparse vegetative cover of sagebrush and grass provides habitat for small mammals and birds. Beulah Reservoir is nestled in Agency Valley, almost filling the small triangular valley. There are campgrounds and facilities for launching and mooring boats at the reservoir, which has a stocked trout fishery. A wide variety of migrating waterfowl use the reservoir, with heavy use by Canada geese. The thick vegetative cover, composed of sagebrush, grass, and occasional juniper, provides excellent wildlife habitat for mule deer and elk in addition to the small mammals and birds that are residents of the reservoir area. Warm Springs Reservoir lies against the tall, steep hills on the eastern side of a broad valley. There are no recreation facilities at the reservoir, so primary use is fishing for black bass, yellow perch, and rainbow trout. Migrating waterfowl use the reservoir, and it is a part of the winter range for mule deer. The area is not heavily used, due in part to the sparse vegetation, mainly sagebrush. For specific information about any of these recreation sites, click on the name below. http://www.recreation.gov/detail.cfm?ID=1138 http://www.recreation.gov/detail.cfm?ID=1139 http://www.recreation.gov/detail.cfm?ID=1159 Bully Creek Reservoir provides specific storage space for flood control purposes and is instrumental in reducing floods on the Malheur River that could cause considerable damage and losses, and in controlling flood damages along Bully Creek and on the Malheur River below the mouth of Bully Creek. The three reservoirs are operated on a coordinated forecast basis for flood control under an agreement of November 9, 1970, between the Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. The Vale Project is the result of Reclamation saving a private irrigation system from financial ruin and reclaiming additional arid lands. In 1926, Reclamation decided on a project in Malheur, meaning `bad hour`, County, Oregon. The county`s previous unsuccessful private irrigation attempts left large areas water-logged and unproductive. At the request of the Warmsprings Irrigation District, Reclamation assisted with seepage problems and decided to construct a new irrigation system. The Vale Project is located in east-central Oregon near the Oregon-Idaho State line. The Project provides irrigation water for 35,000 acres lying adjacent to the confluence of the Malheur River and Willow Creek, near the town of Vale. Five irrigation divisions are included in the Vale Project. The Harper and Little Valley units contain a total of approximately 4,000 acres, the Bully Creek West and East Bench combine 17,000 acres, and the Willow Creek Division comprises 14,500 acres. The primary source of water for the project is the Malheur River. Water stored at Warm Springs, Beulah, and Bully Creek Reservoirs combines with natural stream flow to provide irrigation water. Warm Springs Dam and Reservoir is on the Middle Fork of the Malheur River. A contract executed by Reclamation and the irrigation district provides one-half of the reservoir`s storage capabilities to the Vale Project. The Beulah Reservoir behind the Agency Valley Dam is on the North Fork of the river. Water from the two reservoirs is released into the Malheur River in times of demand. The Harper Diversion Dam on the Malheur River 20 miles southwest of Vale, diverts water into the Vale Main Canal to irrigate land on the west side of the river and along Willow Creek.(1) The Vale Main Canal parallels the west bank of the Malheur River in a northeasterly direction until it reaches Willow Creek. The canal then heads northwest and runs along the south side of Willow Creek to a point near Jamieson, Oregon. The total length of the canal is 74 miles with a diversion capacity of 662 cubic feet per second. Five tunnels are included in the canal system, and siphons cross streams at Bully Creek, Chicken Creek, and Fairman Coulee. Another siphon, 1.5 miles southwest of Little Valley, conveys water to the Little Valley Canal for irrigating 1,100 acres on the south side of the river.(2) An intake structure on the Vale Main Canal eight miles west of Vale diverts excess water into the Bully Creek Feeder Canal. This water then combines with stream water from Bully Creek for storage in the Bully Creek Reservoir. Two laterals distribute the stored water to 3,000 acres of project land south of Willow Creek. The first lateral is at the outlet works of the Bully Creek Dam, and the second lateral is at the Bully Creek Diversion Dam, one mile downstream from the reservoir.(3) Reclamation came to a project with favorable conditions: deep soil, low elevation (2,500 feet), 159 day growing season, and adequate water supply. Yet low annual precipitation of 9.1 inches made irrigation necessary to reclaim the arid land and to take advantage of the area`s potential. Before development of Reclamation`s Vale Project, approximately 28,000 acres in the project area had never experienced any form of irrigation. The remaining 7,000 acres received an inadequate water supply through private enterprise.(4) In 1904, Reclamation first became involved in the valley while investigating the proposed Malheur Project. The Malheur Project included lands subsequently incorporated into the Vale Project. Reclamation declared the Malheur Project infeasible due to excessive construction costs and a high estimated cost per acre.(5) Activity in the valley increased in 1910, and there was interest in promoting the construction of a project using Bully Creek for irrigation. Settlers improved public lands by clearing off sagebrush, breaking virgin land, and fencing, and the settlers did manage to survive for a few years on savings and non-farming work. The promoting company failed, however, and settlers realized the futility of farming in the face of limited water supply. Further residence on the land was hopeless. (6) The most significant event in the development of the Vale Project was completion of the Warm Springs Dam and Reservoir in 1919. The construction of this reservoir and distribution system for 30,000 acres next to the Vale Project directly influenced Reclamation`s interest in the Vale Project. The Warmsprings Irrigation District was formed in May 1916 to construct a system supplementing the water supply of 12,000 acres under decreed water rights, and to provide water for additional areas.(7) A bond sale financed construction of the Warm Springs Dam. The reservoir`s 170,000 acre-foot storage capacity exceeded the needs of the irrigable acreage. However, this capacity could be provided at the lowest cost per acre foot of water. The District decided the extra water stored would be worth its cost to the lands of the District and new lands might be irrigated using the reservoir`s stored water.(8) The dam is a concrete arch located on the Middle Fork of the Malheur River. The original structural height of the dam was 100 feet. The reservoir provides irrigation water for 18,000 acres in the Warmsprings Irrigation District.(9) Seepage was confined to small localized areas until construction of the Warm Springs Reservoir, but then over-estimates of irrigable lands coupled with excessive use of surplus water caused extensive seepage and water-logging. The water table gradually rose and irrigated land decreased from 14,232 acres in 1922 to 9,424 acres in 1926. The irrigation district lacked the funds and means to construct the necessary drainage system.(10) Seepage problems experienced by the District brought Reclamation engineers into the valley to conduct field investigations. At the request of the Warmsprings Irrigation District in 1925, Reclamation investigated seeking a solution to the drainage problem. Reclamation also began to investigate the feasibility of developing a project in the area. Thereafter, the difficulties experienced by the Warmsprings Irrigation District led to Reclamation developing the Vale Project. Reclamation began surveys for an irrigation system from the Malheur River in the summer of 1922. A contract dated August 26, 1922 between the Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall and the Warmsprings Irrigation District allocated $10,000 to conduct investigations. The investigations resulted in a plan for using surplus water stored in Warm Springs Reservoir to reclaim additional lands.(11) Based on good survey results, Reclamation decided to further study the Harper and Little Valley areas.(12) Investigations conducted by Reclamation in August and September 1924 examined the agricultural and economic viability of the Vale Project. The scope of the surveys included: soil surveys and land classifications, studies of drainage conditions and water requirements, collection of data concerning the yields of various crops grown in adjoining areas, studies of meteorological factors having agricultural or economic importance, and studies of transportation facilities and market conditions.(13) Reclamation`s investigations determined the Vale Project to be feasible and economically viable. In the fall of 1926, Secretary of the Interior Hubert Work recommended approval of the Vale Project to President Calvin Coolidge. The President approved construction on October 21, 1926. The Vale-Oregon Irrigation District executed a contract with the United States the following day for the expenditure of $4,500,000 for construction. Under the terms of the contract Reclamation would: purchase of one-half interest in Warm Springs Reservoir from the Warmsprings Irrigation District; construct a diversion dam in the Malheur River; construct a distribution system, consisting of a main canal, laterals, sublaterals, and appurtenant structures; and, construct a drainage system.(14) Reclamation signed a separate contract with the Warmsprings Irrigation District the same day. The contract fixed sale prices to Reclamation for excess stored water in Warm Springs Reservoir at $8.00 per acre foot. Reclamation agreed to construct a drainage system for the district, relieving the water-logging problem, and to increase the structural height of the storage dam, providing greater storage capacity. The contract considered the construction of a drainage system partial payment for excess stored water.(15) By signing these contracts, Reclamation saved the Warmsprings Irrigation District from financial ruin and eventually reclaimed 34,000 acres of arid land. Improvements in technology and construction techniques transformed an area once considered too expensive to irrigate into an agriculturally successful and economically viable project. During construction of the Vale Project, Reclamation`s first task was building a drainage system for the Warmsprings Irrigation District. Construction by force account began on March 4, 1927, and Reclamation completed the work in December of 1928. Reclamation investigations conducted in 1927 and 1928 revealed 1,400 acres of Class I lands, land with productive soil, underlain by ground water within six feet of the ground surface. High ground water rendered an additional 20,000 acres unproductive. Reclamation employees used electric draglines to excavate 2,293,860 cubic yards of Class I earth. Installation of 56.85 miles of drainage channels, averaging a depth of 10.8 feet, alleviated water-logging.(16) Upon completion of the drainage system, productivity returned to the Warmsprings Irrigation District. Lands cultivated before the spread of seepage were again productive and the area of producing land gradually extended. After construction the water plane showed an average drop of four feet throughout the district.(17) In 1930, Reclamation installed a stop-plank crest with operating machinery on the Warm Springs Dam to increase the dam`s structural height by six feet. Reclamation and the district shared installation expenses, and the reservoir`s storage capacity increased from 170,000 to 190,000 acre feet. Work was completed by contract on July 8, 1930.(18) Construction of the 74 mile Vale Main Canal and 279 mile lateral system occurred between 1927 and 1935. Reclamation built laterals and main canal extensions simultaneously. Excavation and construction of concrete structures occurred as work progressed. Geographic conditions forced Reclamation to use tunnels and siphons at some locations. Reclamation surveyed alternative routes because: of the narrowness of the valley in the first three miles of the canal route; the presence of the Oregon Short Line railroad in the route required for the canal; and the prevalence of slide rock and unstable material on both sides of the river. Reclamation compiled studies, preliminary designs, and cost estimates for the alternative locations, including two river and railroad crossings. A three tunnel route, keeping entirely on the north side of the Malheur River, was selected as most feasible. According to Reclamation construction engineer H.W. Bashore, the route offered `the most safety, permanence, and equal economy for first cost and greater economy for future operation and maintenance.`(19) Tunnels on this difficult route are concrete lined with a 10 foot 6 inch diameter horseshoe design. The tunnels are 2,136, 4,997, and 1,360 feet long, respectively. There is 2,360 feet of open canal between Tunnel No. 1 and Tunnel No.2, and 1,600 feet between Tunnel No. 2 and Tunnel No. 3.(20) Excavation began in November 1928 and completed in 1930.(21) Excavation of the main canal began in 1928. Electric draglines removed disintegrated basalt, burntlava, talus rock, river gravel, and other loose materials. Drilling and blasting was necessary when contractors encountered hard material. The canal route traversed steep side-hills and rock canyons.(22) Contractors constructed three riveted plate steel siphons in 1930 and 1931 for creek crossing. Bully Creek Siphon is 6,225 feet with an 8 foot 5 inch diameter. Fairman Coulee Siphon also has a 8 foot 5 inch diameter and is 1,010 feet long. A stretch of 1,300 feet of concrete lined canal passing through porous earth connects the two siphons. The Chicken Creek Siphon is a 430 foot, 12 foot 9 inch diameter steel siphon.(23) A 34 inch steel siphon, 2,289 feet long, crossing under the Malheur River, delivers water to the Little Valley Canal. The canal and siphon were constructed in 1929-1930 to deliver water to 1,132 acres on the south side of the river.(24) Construction of the Harper Diversion Dam, on the Malheur River 20 miles southwest of Vale, Oregon, occurred in 1929 between March and November. The dam diverts water directly from the river near the upper portal of Tunnel No. 1. Reclamation believed the design offered the least obstruction to the passage of large quantities of floating ice during periods of heavy runoff and prevented excess accumulation of silt in the river channel, avoiding the problem of diversion of silt into the main canal.(25) In fact, water diverted from the river was clear and free of silt. This diversion dam is a concrete slab with hinged steel gates and an embankment wing. The dam lies at right angles to the line of flow of the main channel. The spillway has seven 20-by 10 foot steel hinged gates that, when raised, elevate the river 10 feet. The structural height of the dam is 21 feet, and it has a diversion capacity of 662 cubic feet per second.(26) In February 1920, the canal was completed to mile 20 and water sent through for irrigation. No lining provisions had been made, and there were leading to numerous leaks due to the porous nature of the canal route. Lining was necessary to insure satisfactory delivery. During construction, the nature of the land led to difficulties in determining the material class through which the canal passed. Reclamation decided to test the material in the canal before resorting to reinforced concrete lining, bench flume or other lining methods. Reclamation believed considerable savings could be effected by this method, instead of attempting to decide in advance the type of lining to use.(27) Reclamation tests determined earth lining with some concrete lining in extremely porous sections would relieve most of the seepage. Reclamation employees hauled dirt for silt lining with trucks and horses with fresnos. Since the canal had to be in operation for irrigation, water could be taken out of the canal only for short periods. This time constraint required concentrating on lining the canal bottom and as far up the sides as time permitted. Work was then completed to the required height after the removal of water from the canal in the fall and spring.(28) Reclamation was convinced earth lining would successfully reduce seepage. This belief was proved as the years advanced and increased amounts of silt were carried into the canal by river water. That strengthened the canal sides and bottom. This resulted in decreased water losses. Extremely porous sections, however, did require a permanent concrete lining.(29)
Plan
The project stores water in Warm Springs, Beulah, and Bully Creek Reservoirs. The stored water in Warm Springs and Beulah Reservoirs, together with natural streamflow, is diverted from the Malheur River by the Harper Diversion Dam to the Vale Main Canal. This water supplies lands on the west side of the Malheur River from Kime to Vale, and along Willow Creek from Vale to the vicinity of Jamieson, Oregon. A siphon, 1.5 miles southwest of Little Valley, conveys water to the Little Valley Canal, on the east side of the Malheur River in the vicinity of Little Valley. Excess water from the Malheur River is diverted to Bully Creek Reservoir through the Vale Main Canal, and through the Bully Creek Feeder Canal that delivers water from the Main Canal, heading about 8 miles west of Vale, Oregon. Water stored in Bully Creek Reservoir is delivered by two laterals, one beginning at the outlet works of the dam and the other at Bully Creek Diversion Dam about a mile downstream from the reservoir. Warm Springs Dam is on the Middle Fork of the Malheur River about 13 miles southwest of Juntura, Oregon. The dam, constructed by the Warmsprings Irrigation District, is a 106-foot-high thin arch structure, and contains 19,500 cubic yards of concrete. The total capacity of the reservoir is 192,400 acre-feet (active 191,100 acre-feet). One-half of the storage in the reservoir was purchased for use on the Vale Project. Located on the North Fork of the Malheur River near Beulah, Oregon, the Agency Valley Dam is a 110-foot-high zoned earthfill structure that contains 646,000 cubic yards of material. The total capacity of the reservoir is 59,900 acre-feet (active 59,900 acre-feet). The needle valves in the outlet works were replaced by jet flow gates in 1990 as part of the operation and maintenance modifications program. Bully Creek Dam is located on Bully Creek about 8 miles northwest of the creek`s confluence with the Malheur River, and 9 miles northwest of Vale, Oregon. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure with a crest length of 3,070 feet and total height of 121 feet. The reservoir has a total capacity of 31,650 acre-feet (active 30,000 acre-feet). Harper Diversion Dam, on the Malheur River 20 miles southwest of Vale, is a concrete slab with hinged steel gates and an embankment wing. The dam raises the water level of the river 12 feet for diversion into Vale Main Canal. Vale Main Canal extends 74 miles from the diversion dam to a point near Jamieson. The canal has an initial capacity of 662 cubic feet per second. Bully Creek Diversion Dam on Bully Creek has a hydraulic height of 4 feet and a crest length of 213 feet. The dam is a rockfill structure with a timber cutoff. Laterals distribute the water to the land and surface and subsurface runoff is managed through an extensive drainage system. The project is operated and maintained by the Vale Oregon Irrigation District. Operation and maintenance of Warm Springs Dam is the responsibility of the Warmsprings Irrigation District.
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